Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are widely used many industries, and typically consist of laminate structures with one or more levels of metallization or other conductors to interconnect the components attached to the board. Commonly known boards, however, are unsatisfactory in a number of respects.
For example, because standard PCBs do not exhibit significant structural strength and are prone to bending, torsion, and buckling, it is typically necessary to provide an additional rigid structure for mounting to the PCB. This adds weight, manufacturing cost, and complexity.
Furthermore, standard PCBs, even in automated processes, often require significant human handling. Such processes are time-consuming, expensive, and can significantly increase the amount of foreign object debris (FOD) that enters the system.
Finally, standard PCBs are generally planar, and thus for any given mounting area they typically limit the range of enclosure shapes and sizes that a designer may employ.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved interconnect structures that have structural strength, can be formed in a variety of shapes, and reduce human interaction during component mounting. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.